Healthy Archuleta has been offering a five-week garden education program, Siembra la Cena or Seed to Supper. This class has invited community members of all ages to come together and learn hands-on gardening skills. One youth participant shared their experience with the program, which is highlighted in this story.
“Through my experience participating in the Healthy Archulera gardening classes, I was rewarded with a beautiful, unique, and educational experience.
“Through the classes, I learned so many valuable gardening skills, such as planting, soil preparation, weeding, and watering techniques, and I even received one of the biggest lessons of my life. You could ask anyone who knows me, I hate bugs, but through these classes, one of the biggest lessons I learned was that not all bugs are villains. Some are tiny superheroes protecting the garden, while others are basically tiny criminals looking for a free meal. As someone who had never gardened before but does plan to have a garden of their own one day, I found the instructors very knowledgeable, patient, and, most of all, they were always willing to answer any questions I had, no matter how silly they might have been at times.
“One of the things I enjoyed most was hands-on learning. Working in the gardens allowed me to apply what I was learning and see the results firsthand. My partner would agree; we would always leave the gardening classes together and discuss what we found most interesting. It was his first time ever doing any kind of community work, and he loved the idea of knowing that everything we were growing would go towards feeding families in the area through the local food pantries. Not only is it rewarding in the knowledge we gain for ourselves, but it also teaches us that through all our hard work, we can help more people and build a stronger, healthier community. I appreciated the opportunity to see so many community members with varying levels of experience come together around a shared interest in gardening and healthy living. Seeing these kinds of things go on in the community helps bring hope and light, suggesting that our community can be stronger together. We just have to try.
“Looking back, I joined these classes with absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had never gardened before, but now I’m so thankful I did this. My experience with Healthy Archuleta taught me much more than how to grow a garden. It showed me how people from different backgrounds can come together with a shared purpose and create something meaningful. Every seed we planted represented more than just food- it represented hope, generosity, and the strength of our community. As a first-time gardener, I gained valuable skills, but more importantly, I gained a deeper appreciation for the impact we can make when we work together. Healthy Archuleta has shown me that growing a garden is also about growing a stronger community.”
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta or to join one of our upcoming programs, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.